


You Make Me Melt Faster Than Ice

by Petrichorrr



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adorable Eren Yeager, Alternate Universe - Skating, Fluff, M/M, Pining Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Snk MiniBang, also some love for Mikasa because she deserves more of it, figure skating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-30
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-08-11 20:50:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7907257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Petrichorrr/pseuds/Petrichorrr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the Snk Mini-bang 2016: collab with <a href="https://acequeenm-art.tumblr.com/post/157184806027">acequeenm</a> and <a href="http://gallery404.tumblr.com/post/164147050905/some-pieces-i-did-for-some-amazing-fics-that-were">crafty-scrafty</a>  </p>
<p>Levi is a professional figure skater, invited as a guest to perform in the opening act of an amateur regional competition. While training on the ice skating rink, he notices two young amateurs who stand out with their grace, sure movements and obvious complicity. He is taken aback when the young man, Eren, recognizes him and introduces himself. Already charmed by the riveting ease of the pair and the gorgeous young man now talking to him, Levi agrees to demonstrate some elements and help Eren improve his form to surprise his partner, Mikasa. Difficulties appear when they both realize that they are used to lift, not being lifted. Follows for Levi an unexpected training session lined with a few discoveries on ice skating and on himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Make Me Melt Faster Than Ice

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first real fic and English is not my first language so I apologize in advance for the stereotypical expressions and poor writing. I hope you still like it.
> 
> Also, thanks a lot to acequeenm and crafty-scrafty from tumblr for participating in this event with me! I'm sorry I was slow to update and I hope it wasn't too much trouble. You were really nice to talk to and kept me motivated so thank you both! :D

Watching his breath float in the cold morning air, Levi hastened down the path leading to the entrance of the ice rink. He had been invited just the month before to perform as a guest in the opening of an amateur competition. Levi had wanted to refuse, but the competition was hosted in his childhood town. He usually didn’t held on sentimental shit. At least that’s what he liked to think. This time was an exception he told himself. Just like the prices he kept at home and his first competition costume, still hung in his dresser. The prizes didn’t take a lot of place and looked nice on his shelves. The black velvet of the costume was too nice to throw away. This ice rink was familiar and Levi could keep training there.

Lost in his thoughts, Levi got ready mechanically. He entered the skating rink and looked around, letting the memories come back to him. He had started learning ice skating here. He still remembered the first time he tried on skates. He had felt elated by the speed at which he could move, by how at ease he had felt, gliding across the ice. Despite himself he started to smile softly.

Levi had started slowly gliding on the ice, drawing large circles. Thankfully, the rink was almost empty. There was only a few people here: a family with three small children screaming excitedly, two teenage girls giggling and clinging to each over, four young couples and five other skaters. Levi quickly realized that the couples were probably here to train before the competition. Thankfully the ice rink was large enough for everyone to skate on without bumping into each other.

Levi had already received the choreography for the opening. The elements weren’t complicated: jumps, spins, elements Levi had been used to perform before he even started competing. Despite himself, Levi started thinking of Petra. He had been happy for her when she had told him about her pregnancy. She had wanted to be a mother for some time now, and even though Levi felt as if her family had taken her away from him - a stupid thought really, Levi knew it was ridiculous for him to be jealous of them - he was also genuinely happy for her. He had had time to get used to the idea and he had been prepared for the time she would leave ice skating. He hadn’t tried to fool himself, he knew that sometimes you had to change partners in pair skating. He just missed her. Skating on his own never felt the same. It was calming sure. He didn’t have to worry about his partner’s level. Or his partner’s well-being. Or any other pair related issues. He only had to rely on himself and do his best.

Skating alone was easier for Levi. But it was also…What word could he use? Fun? No Levi thought, pair skating wasn’t fun. It was difficult, stressful, a hassle sometimes. But that was part of the deal. It was demanding. That’s probably why Levi felt like it was also more rewarding in the end.

His eyes landed on one of the young couples sliding on the ice. They had previously been sliding hand in hand but were now practicing lifts. Suddenly, they turned so that they were face to face, the guy putting his crossed wrists in front of himself, and lifting his partner until she was perpendicular to his right shoulder. Levi slowed his pace to watch them. He knew the strength that was necessary to lift someone this high and keep the hold steady while spinning on the ice. Surprisingly, the young couple didn’t seem to struggle much. The guy was straight and steady and the girl held herself with grace.

After a couple of minutes of trying to practice, Levi eventually decided to stop and watch them. The other couples weren’t bad themselves, but they didn’t catch the eye like these two did. Levi knew how to recognize serious competitors. They had worked hard to be able to master the lifts they were showing, that was certain. They were also talented, and that was what the others had to be afraid of. The girl was astounding. She executed every movement to perfection. Her body was controlled and each move she made was directed and purposeful, leaving no place for fumbling around. What had really caught Levi’s eyes though was the fact that she made everything look effortless. Levi also knew how rare this was. Only true champions could make figure skating look effortless. To be in control but to make it seem as if you didn’t strain to be, that was what Levi had been aiming for his whole career.

She was truly beautiful too. The way she looked rivalled the way she held herself. Dark black hair and nicely carved features, long eyelashes, heavy lidded eyes, strong lean body. There was no mistake, she was gorgeous. Levi didn’t doubt that she had a line of pretenders, both in and out of the rink. Following his train of thoughts, his stare descended on the girl’s partner.

At first glance, the guy didn’t have anything special. He looked like he was still young too, probably in his early twenties and his appearance wasn’t out of the ordinary. His body was nice surely, attractive even. He had to have muscles too to be able to lift his partner after all. Short but unruly brown hair covered his head, parting on his forehead. Overall, his features were pleasant: a defined jawline, nice nose, firm lips…

Suddenly, the guy’s eyes met Levi’s and the latter realized he had been looking for some time now.

Levi couldn’t stop staring. He had frozen and was helplessly still, caught by the stranger’s stare. Green eyes. Bright green eyes. A million images filled Levi’s mind. Green with flashes of blue, the lights flickering through thick leaves, water too.

He was taken aback when the guy smiled at him, talked quickly with his partner and started sliding towards him. He blinked and breathed deeply trying to make his heartbeat calm down. He wasn’t acting creepy after all, just looking.

When the guy reached him, he asked “Excuse me, are you Levi Ackerman?”

Levi couldn’t hide his surprise and cursed himself internally. He should have known someone was going to recognize him. He wasn’t ‘famous’ per se, but he was still known as a decent skater and surely some of the competitors were going to know his face.

“I am.” He replied simply.

“I’m Eren, Eren Yeager. It’s great to meet you. I love watching your performances. You make it look so easy, I wish I was as good a skater as you are.” he smiled. Levi attempted to calm down his heartbeat once again. He was feeling ridiculous. Others had expressed admiration before and he hadn’t reacted the same then.

“It’s good to meet you too. Are you participating in the next contest here?” Neutral conversation, complete sentences. That’s good Levi.

“I am” Eren replied smiling again. The white light of the rink was reflecting in his eyes, moving when they shifted towards his partner, who was still sliding and practicing an upright spin. “Mikasa and I want to try competing. We’ve started rather late and we don’t want to become professionals, but we spend a lot of time practicing and we think that we have the level to do it now. Might as well try. I think it can be a great experience.”

Eren was confident then, Levi noted. He had the right to be, he conceded. “It’s a good idea yes.”

“How old were you when you first competed?” Eren then asked.

“Thirteen”. “As soon as you could then?” “Yes”.

The silence lasted only a couple of seconds and then Eren’s eyes were on his once again, this time wide with a mix of hope and fear. “Are _you_ competing too?”

Levi smiled “I am not. I’m only here to perform for the opening.”

“Oh.” he laughed. “I won’t lie, I’m a little bit relieved. Wouldn’t want to face you in a competition.”

“Why?” Levi asked.

Eren looked straight at him and Levi felt like a deer caught in headlights.

“Because when you skate, you’re magnificent.” He answered. Levi felt cold and then hot suddenly. He knew he was good, but he didn’t consider himself to be more than average when it came to competing. He sure as hell didn’t think he was ‘magnificent’.

“You blow my mind away. I haven’t seen any other skater with your skills. You manage to make all your moves look powerful and graceful at the same time and I just…” Eren took a deep breath then and said “I didn’t want to come on too strong, but I really admire you. You are one of the greatest out there and I’ve been wishing I could skate like you since I started.”

Levi stayed silent. What could he answer to that? As if understanding how he felt, Eren tried to change the subject.

“Aren’t you going to perform with your partner tough? I know you like freestyle and being solo, but I thought you had turned to pair skating now.”

“I have” Levi sighed.

He explained the situation to Eren. How he in had indeed started solo, and then tried pair skating later on because his coach at the time had recommended it to him. At first, the purpose of pair skating was for Levi to gain some muscles and improve his form, but also to see how others skated. His coach had insisted that he could learn a lot from watching others and that it would do him good to learn how to work with someone else. Levi hadn’t been enchanted by the idea but he wasn’t the one making the rules and he reluctantly gave it a try. To his surprise, he had liked it.

When he met Petra a couple years after, it just clicked and he decided to turn completely to pair skating. It was new, dedicating your time and energy to a project you shared with another. Levi couldn’t let Petra down and had to give it his best every time. In turn, Petra did the same for him. And it was worth it in the end.

“I know how you feel” said Eren. “I only skate with Mikasa, it’s just not the same alone. I mean, I like skating on my own but I’m not sure I’d like to be the centre of attention that much. And Mikasa kinda attracts all the spotlights to her without even trying.”

Levi didn’t answer. He thought that Eren was underestimating himself, but he didn’t say anything. Unlike the young man standing in front of him, he wasn’t one to share his thoughts that easily. And Eren wasn’t completely wrong either; Mikasa had been the one to catch Levi’s eyes after all.

Right now though, Levi was sure that Eren would be the one he was going to look at first. No doubts.

When Levi got to the part where he had learned about Petra’s pregnancy Eren expressed his disappointment. “I hope Mikasa doesn’t get pregnant anytime soon.” he grimaced. “I mean, I don’t have a say in it but still.”

Levi stopped at that and shot Eren a surprised look. “You’re not together?”

“What?” Eren laughed “No no, we’re siblings. She’s my adopted sister.” He explained. “You and Petra aren’t together either right?”

Levi felt stupid suddenly. He really shouldn’t have assumed anything, but the pair seemed so in sync together that the image of a couple had stuck.

As if on cue, Levi heard the sound of blades on the ice before realizing that Eren’s partner had joined them. Mikasa introduced herself in the same fashion that Eren had, without the smile that is. Even though she wasn’t as expressive as Eren, Levi felt oddly comfortable talking with her too. When it came to interacting with others, she was more like him and Levi could feel it instantly. He could tell she was appraising him by the way she was looking at him, and he almost smiled when she got closer to Eren. She was protective of her brother then. Levi could understand why.

After exchanging formalities, she excused herself, saying she had to get going. She shoot a questioning look at Eren but the latter replied by saying he wanted to keep practising a little bit before leaving. Levi realized he had tensed in anticipation and willed himself to relax. He would get to see the other man again anyway, it didn’t really matter if he decided to leave now. Plus, Levi had to practice too.

His plans were shattered when Eren turned to him with a blinding smile and asked him to practice together with him.

“You want us to practice together?” he asked, to make sure he had heard correctly.

“Well yes. You’re a pro and it would be an honour to skate with you.”

Levi was left speechless once again. Eren definitely didn’t have any filter when it came to sharing his thoughts.

“Oh! I have an idea. Would you help me get better in pair skating? I would really like to improve and surprise Mikasa.”

Levi was pretty sure that they would need more than a few hours to see any real progress but he decided he didn’t really care.

 “Sure” he answered. “Show me what you were working on”.

 

It was a couple of minutes later when Levi realized what he had gotten into. He had explained to Eren the basics of holds. That’s what they had decided to focus on, since Eren felt like he was lacking skills and confidence when it came to lifting Mikasa up.

Levi gave Eren all the pieces of advice he could think of, things he had gleaned from past partners and coaches, as well as his own experience.

He had described the way he positioned himself and had showed it as best as he could, explaining how to stand - straight, you have to be straight, but focused on your partner always – and where to grab, but soon he found himself closer to Eren. Levi found himself hesitating when he realized that for his explanations to be useful, he’d have to demonstrate eventually. It had been easy enough to practice waist holds with his other partners, but this was completely different. Seeing Levi’s hesitation, Eren had smiled and grabbed his hands, putting them on his waist.

“Show me.” He had said. And Levi had, taking notice of the way Eren’s waist felt, hard and warm under his hands. He could feel the muscles moving beneath Eren’s clothes and swallowed. They were too close and he could feel himself begin to panic. He didn’t want to appear like a creep, but Eren was beautiful and so _close_. He could even smell him, smell the sweat that was starting to dry on his skin. He should find that disgusting he thought. He really should.

He didn’t.

He showed as best as he could where he put his hands on the waist and hips of his partners and then let Eren try on him, struggling to keep his breathing even. Eren insisted on working on hand to hand lifts too, mentioning the fact that Mikasa and him had planned to do one during their program.

“She’ll be up in front of me, and I know we have practiced for this but I’m still scared of dropping her.” Eren admitted. “I always pick her up without too much difficulty, but when she’s up I’m always afraid of dropping my arms or getting cramps or…What?”

Levi had begun smiling despite himself - _again_ he thought – and had to will his face back to a blank expression. Eren’s talkativeness was way too endearing. He could sympathise though, he had had the same fears at the beginning too.

“Just focus on keeping her up and staying in the right position, if you drop her she won’t hurt herself, just fall back on her feet.”

Eren was pensive for a couple of seconds. “For this lift yes, but what about others?”

“Practice makes perfect.” Levi replied. And he knew it too well. To gain confidence, you had to practice the same move again and again, until it felt like it was natural, rooted in your body’s memory.

“We should practice lifts then!” Eren teased. “Who should lift who first?”

“I don’t think you could lift me –“. 

“Wanna bet?” Eren cut him off. Levi looked at him with wide eyes. There was no way Eren could lift him. Sure, he was smaller, but he did have muscle mass. Surely Eren couldn’t be serious. Unfortunately, it turned out that Eren was indeed very serious. He had apparently taken Levi’s reaction like a challenge to prove himself and Levi understood too late that he had made a mistake.

“I think it’s better if I’m the one lifting you too. It makes sense since I’m the one who has to improve.” He added with a smirk.

Levi gave up there and then. He knew he was fucked. There was no way out of this.

Obviously, their ‘training session’ didn’t go as well as pair’s usually did. Levi realized too late that he didn’t know how to be the one above the ground. Sure, it was good to know how his partner felt like when executing these elements, but Levi had never gone as far as trying it. After only one try but fearing for his safety, Levi had to give up and explain to Eren that things wouldn’t have worked out either way. Eren needed to practice with someone who was used to being lifted, and training with Mikasa, his current partner, seemed to be the best idea. After all, one of the most important skill in pair skating was the capacity to adapt to your partner and to trust them. Eren saw right through his excuses though and laughed at Levi’s reaction.

 “What do you mean? If there’s one thing I’ve learned in ice skating it’s that when you fall, you have to get back up and try again!” he exclaimed, clearly amused by the situation.

“Yes, except I don’t really want to fall. The fall has to be worth it you know”

“And I’m not?” Eren faked choc.

Levi shook his head and tried to hide his smile. “Come on” he said “Let’s try something else.”

They spent the rest of the morning skating side by side, working on syncing their movements. Levi wanted to grab Eren’s hands again, but didn’t dare too. When the time came to say goodbye, he was half relieved half disappointed, and he didn’t want to think about the reason why.

Eren had left the ring with a wave, promising they’d see each other again soon.

 

 

‘Soon’ turned out to be the very next day when Levi returned to the rink. Eren and Mikasa were already there training but they waved at him when he arrived. They practiced separately, until Mikasa left again and Eren came to skate next to Levi. They practiced jumps, one at a time, and spins, focusing on simpler elements. Eren was still trying to improve and asked lots of questions. Levi replied as best as he could and tried to focus on skating instead of his new companion.

Needless to say, he wasn’t successful and couldn’t control his reactions as well as he would have liked when Eren looked at him, smiled, or got a little bit too close.

Over the next couple of weeks, they kept meeting and started a habit of getting together to simply skate side by side and talk. Levi learned more about Eren and shared information about him in return, surprised by the ease with which he could communicate with the other man. It usually took more time for him to get comfortable around others but Eren was bright and cheerful and the way he made Levi feel wasn’t unpleasant at all.

In fact, the guy was charming and Levi was in deep. He felt like he was getting addicted to seeing Eren’s face and he started dreading the end of their meetings.

Several times, Levi caught himself wishing that Eren could be his partner, out of the rink, but he scoffed at himself every time. Maybe Eren really liked him too and saw him as more than another skater to learn from, but Levi still couldn’t find enough courage to make a move. He liked these shared moments and didn’t want them to stop anytime soon. _After the competition_ , he promised himself. 

 

The day of the competition, Levi only had time to prepare before he was rushed on towards the rink. He had rehearsed the day before under the competition’s organiser’s watch and everything was perfect according to them, but he still felt nervous.

When the lights went down, Levi skated silently on the ice, placing himself in the middle of the rink. He took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins, like every time he was about to perform in front of an audience. He muted the feeling and focused his attention on his posture. His right leg was crossed in front of the other, the skates aligned, but the rest of his body was straight. Silence filled the space and Levi could only hear the blood rushing through his ears and his breaths. When the first notes started, he slowly began gliding backwards, following the curve of the rink and making every use of the space he had. He was alone on the ice and he was aware of all the eyes on him, watching his every move. His thoughts switched to bright green eyes and he felt his skin prickle.

His pace was slow, in sync with the sad tune playing. Gaining speed, he leapt into the first jump of his program, just as the calm music turned louder. The world shifted and the dark lights blurred together before he landed sharply on his right foot. The first sounds of clapping hands were heard then and Levi allowed himself to relax and just follow the music. That’s what he loved most about performing: losing yourself in the sensations, letting the lights merge together and creating an intimate atmosphere. All that never failed to make Levi feel more at ease.

Followed a spiral toe loop, the hardest element of his program, and a lutz. Levi kept his mind on the elements he had to execute. It was hard to concentrate while still enjoying the sensations but he managed to every time. It was a delicate balance he had had to find on his own. To be a pro in figure skating, you had to master each element, but you also had to take pleasure in what you were doing. That’s what kept pulling Levi back to ice rinks after all, what pushed him to train so hard and keep on doing it even after all these years. He loved spinning, feeling the wind in his hair and flowing between his fingers when he kept his hands open. Every time he left the ground, he felt like he was flying. Eren wasn’t wrong when he had said that skating made him feel free. He could only imagine how the girls felt when they were tossed high into the air.

The rest of his performance went by in a blur. Time felt suspended around Levi but the moment was still over too quickly. It was what happened every time he wanted time to stop to mark the moment down in his memory during a performance. He could only grasp a couple of fragments of it each time. In his mind, he tried to imagine what the spectators saw. His dark blue outfit and the dark lights paired with the slow music added a touch of melancholy to his movements. He wanted to seem distant and cold, like an ice prince right out of a tale. His mother had called him that once. She had said he was beautiful like that. Levi had protested trying to hide his embarrassment, but in truth he had liked the idea too. He wanted to make the spectators dream when they saw him, like he had when he was in their seats.

He ended his part with one last spin which started as a camel spin. He folded in on himself and spread one leg straight while keeping the over bended at the knee to speed up. Finally, he unfolded as smoothly as he could and ended the spin while looking at his raised hands above his head.

His heart was beating fast, his pants loud, and he felt satisfied.

 

After his part, Levi had ran backstage and changed before hurrying to the bleachers. Petra was supposed to have kept a place for him. Levi found her easily and sat down on the free seat next to her with a relieved sigh.

“You were great Levi.” she greeted him. “Nearly made me wish I could be there too” she smiled.

He grunted “I bet you’re too heavy for me to lift now.”

Petra simply giggled and shook her head clearly unconvinced. She knew him too well by now.

The competition was divided in three parts. Men freestyle followed by women freestyle, and then pair figure skating. Levi wasn’t requested on the ice again; he had insisted on it when he had accepted the offer, he didn’t like coming back just to be applauded if his part was finished already.

The competition had started already and they were halfway through men’s freestyle. Levi and Petra watched with interest as each competitor skated. The level was rather high for an amateur competition and Levi started to worry. He hoped Eren and Mikasa weren’t getting too stressed.

By the time the third part of the contest finally stared, Levi was as nervous as he had been before his own performance. It was getting ridiculous really. After three impressive pairs, it was time for Eren and Mikasa to present their program.

The lights went down once more and when they came back on the two skaters were next to each other, Eren simply standing and turned towards Mikasa who had her arms crossed and her hands hiding her face.

They wore matching outfits, black and red near the bottom. Levi thought the colours suited them, they matched well with their skating style daring and confident. When the music started, Mikasa extended one hand, then the other. The beat picked up and Eren caught her hands, leading with her left hand in his and his right at her waist. He let her go ahead and turn back towards him before he caught her waist and threw her in a twist lift. He managed to catch her in time and lowered back on the ice without losing speed.

They followed each other next and started to speed up, making it seem as if they were chasing each other, always in sync with the upbeat music.

They smoothly skated side by side for a while, showing two salchow jumps before separating, just to find each other again after carving and eight figure in the ice.

Next came more difficult elements. They managed to succeed in doing a throw jump. Mikasa landed flawlessly on her right foot, carefully lifting her left one so that it didn’t touch the ice and Eren was instantly at her side to lift her up again in a carry lift. Levi realized that this was the lift Eren had been scared of. Mikasa had her hands on Eren’s crossed ones, her arms straight and maintaining her up above his shoulders. They were facing each other, but Eren had to continue skating while not being able to see in front of him. Levi held his breath when Eren lowered Mikasa back down without bumping into her.

After a couple on separate jumps, they ended on a pair spin. Mikasa’s hands gripped Eren’s shoulders as he made them spin, holding her waist while she let her head fall back. The music came to an end then.  

They were both panting when they embraced each other but they also looked proud. Levi turned his stare towards Petra to find her already looking at him and smiling.

 

The pair left the rink right after that and were followed by one last performance before the end of the contest. Levi had to wait for the results to be announced to be able to see them again. He waited impatiently with the rest of the crowd and was relieved when Eren and Mikasa were designated as the winners of the pair category. They had won by a couple of points only but the whole audience was cheering for them, showing that they were happy about the results too.

Eren and Mikasa received their medals and skated back onto the ice after the winners of the other categories, their clasped hands held high between them. Levi’s attention narrowed down to Eren once more and he felt helplessly caught up in the sight. He had made it a point to watch Mikasa too during the performance but now his stare was going back to Eren.

“You’re drooling!” sang Petra.

“I’m not.” he glared back.

“No, but you could be.” she answered teasingly. “And something tells me it’s not only because of their impressive elements.”

He sighed but didn’t grace her with an answer. He hated the fact that his crush was that obvious.

“I have to admit though, you were right in saying that they are amazing.” She conceded quietly, eyes glued on the pair now waving their hands at the clapping audience. A long whistle was heard and Levi followed the sound until his eyes landed on a group of young adults standing and screaming with joy. Eren slid towards them followed by Mikasa and they stopped in front of the group, bowing and laughing. Someone threw a bouquet of flowers and Mikasa caught it right before if hit the ground.

In the stands, Levi clutched at his bag. _After the competition_ he had told himself.

He stood up, excused himself (Petra only sent a teasing smile in response) and stated heading backstage. He kept trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing; it was now or never. If he didn’t make a move, who knew when he’d be able to see Eren again. He just had to take the leap.

He remembered the first time he had had to jump. He had been terrified at the time. He didn’t want to fall, he was scared of the pain. But now, he didn’t feel the same. He had fallen and hurt himself plenty of times. That was how you got better, by falling and then getting up. More importantly, he knew when a jump was worth falling for.

And he was pretty sure that this one was worth it.

Levi searched for Eren and Mikasa in the backstage area. It didn’t take him long to find them. They were in the main room, surrounded by some remaining skaters who wanted to congratulate them too. They both had their costumes still on and Mikasa was holding the bouquet close to her while thanking everyone.

Levi waited for most of the skaters to leave before entering further. Eren spotted him first and beamed. His cheeks were flushed and Levi swore he could see sparkles of joy dancing in his eyes. The room felt warm around him suddenly, like everything was glowing a little bit brighter.

Eren moved fast and before he knew it, Levi was being hugged, crushed into Eren’s arms.

“You’re here! I thought maybe you had already left!” he said. “How was it?”

“You were great.” Levi replied. “You both were.” He added, looking at Mikasa. She was smiling too and the sight was a lovely one.

“Levi, could you wait for me just a minute? I’ll be right out. I just want to talk with you a little bit before meeting with my friends outside.” Eren said, catching his attention again.

“Sure.” agreed Levi easily.

When Eren came back, they found a calm place to talk.

“Thank you” started Eren. “Thanks for all the time you spent with me and thanks for helping me improve. I really appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing.” Levi replied. “I liked spending time with you.”

They looked at each other for a few silent seconds. The air felt heavy with the words they couldn’t say. Eren took a breath but Levi talked first.

“I have something for you.”

Eren looked surprised but didn’t say anything when Levi opened his bag to take out a – thankfully still in good condition – pale pink rose. He offered it to Eren without a word. The latter accepted it with a small smile.

“Thank you.”

“Congratulations” said Levi.

“How did you know we were going to win?”

“I didn’t really. I would have given it to you even if you had lost.”

Eren’s eyes went wide with hope when he looked back at Levi.

“Do you like me?” he asked suddenly.

Levi felt the panic rise but blurted out a strangled “Yes.” This was it, he had jumped.

Eren smiled wider then and came closer. He looked elated and nervous all at once when he stared down at Levi and simply said “I want a congratulatory kiss too then.”

Levi groaned at the ridiculous line but reached for Eren’s neck to oblige. He felt like flying when Eren leaned down to kiss his lips and finally remove the space between them.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I love Ereri and I love ice skating. That is all.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
